Chapter 1
In the beginning of this chapter, I noticed lots of bold statements that God was making to Joshua. Like in verse 5, "No man will be able to stand before you all the days of your life." God might not have made that exact promise to us individually, but we do have the assurance of His constant presence through the Holy Spirit. This must have been an incredible reassurance to Joshua in the face of a HUGE impending responsibility.
"I will not fail you or forsake you."
Verse 9 "Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." This is true for Joshua's physical battles, as well as our Spiritual ones.
Verse 16. It must have felt good to have the support of his leaders so soon after the death of Moses.
Again, in verse 18, we see the phrase "strong and courageous." I think God expects us to have these characteristics as well. We are expected to go out there and share our Lord with others. He has prepared us and paved the way for us, and the only thing standing in the way of it is our fear. I didn't expect to see so many parallels between Joshua's battle and ours, but this time through, the similarities are overwhelming!
Chapter 2. Rahab. Why would Rahab risk her life and betray her country? She knew the reputation of the Nation of Israel. She knew what was coming. (verse 9)
Imagine the transformation that had been happening in Rahab's heart and life before those men knocked on her door. God had given her the home in the wall, perfect logistically for their escape. Rahab is a shining example of the fact that God uses imperfect people to carry out His perfect will.
Verse 24 Compare this report with the one Moses got 40 years ago. The hearts of the people have changed. (In fact the people have changed!) They have confidence in their Lord. What does this tell us about the God we love and serve? I see the fact that God will not force you into something when you are unwilling. But at the same time, being unwilling to trust God's sovereignty is what got the nation into trouble. He said, If you aren't ready, my plan will wait for someone who is. The new generation was no stronger, smarter, steathier than the last. God's plan of action had not changed. It was only the willingness to trust God with their lives. I don't want to be so focused on my own abilities that I can't imagine what Christ could do through me. I don't want Him to have to wait for someone else to fulfill the plan. I want to be on the front lines with Joshua.
Chapter 3
Verse 5. This is a cool preparation for the Lord's work.
Verse 13 This is not quite the same visually as the Red Sea instance, since the Jordan was a flowing river. We picture the Red Sea being parted and rising up on both sides, but this was like a huge dam stoppping the flow on one side, while the rest of the water drained below. Incredible!
Verse 17 I don't like to get technical too often, but there are people out there who get really hung up on things like carbon dating, and the science of time. God is beyond time. He created Adam as an adult human. He turned water into aged wine. And here we see that He dried up the muddy, soaked bottom of the river so that instantly His people could walk on DRY ground. That might have taken weeks naturally.
Next time: Joshua 4-5 I know you could do more than two chapters, but there is someting really cool in chapter 5 that will be nice to stop and ponder before we go farther!
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